Best Soulslike Game Maps

In any self-respecting Soulslike title, the map has a premium placed upon it. It's one thing to be a precision-based action game with challenging combat and grueling boss fights, but it's an entirely other thing to tie everything together in a world that also feels rewarding to explore.

This is where not all Soulslikes are created equally, and where it's pretty glaringly clear that certain mainstay developers in the genre have this aspect of these titles perfected to a T. Yes, there are plenty of great games in the genre, but the ones that stand the test of time always manage to take their design one step further.

That's why today, we're going to look back at nine Soulslike journeys that have the best maps in the business. I've factored in layout, vibe, and design in order to rank the eight entries below. And yes, FromSoftware kind of ended up dominating these selections in the end. But can you blame me?

9 Another Crab's Treasure

Shrimpy, But Solid

Starting off with a bit of a wildcard, I'll go to my watery grave fighting for Another Crab's Treasure's seat at the Soulslike table. It's a much more digestible and manageable entry into the genre, but it's also simply a joy to play.

And those good feelings extend to the game's map layout as well. First of all, it's vibrant and full of color when it needs to be, and also captures the dark, terrifying depths of the ocean floor when that's called for as well.

It also has plenty of secrets, nice pseudo-open areas to explore and find loot in, bosses to bump into, and plenty of levels in total that are all well-designed and fun to traverse around. No, it's not the most impressively sprawling example on the list, but it might be the most straight-up fun.

8 Lies of P

Nose Goes

Lies of P is a somewhat linear Soulslike experience in general, but that still doesn't discount each area within the game from being incredibly well-planned out and packed full of secrets, shortcuts, and alternate paths. The level of interconnectivity compared to some others further down this list is lower, sure. But for what Lies of P is going for, that's okay.

The city of Krat, while clearly inspired by Bloodborne/Yharnam, is absolutely haunting and breathtaking alike, filled with scores of nooks and crannies to search for items every step of the way. Let's also not forget Krat Hotel itself, which serves as the game's Firelink Shrine-esque hubworld, and an amazing rendition of one to boot.

Everything surrounding Krat Proper is awesome too, from rundown puppet factories to weird cathedrals and everything in between.

7 Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

Grappling Souls

Sekiro is another Soulslike map that can be written off as somewhat linear in comparison to others, but to do so would be ignoring the verticality that FromSoftware introduced to the formula with this one. Thanks to Wolf's grappling hook mechanic, the map of Sekiro is unlocked like no other FromSoftware game before it (or since).

This sense of verticality makes otherwise small sections of the map now ripe with possibilities, as getting the drop of enemies below you on the ground starts to mold and shape your brain into thinking about traversing the game in hyper-specific, planned-out paths.

Ashina is quite the looker throughout, too. From's take on this mystical version of Feudal Japan looks so consistently polished and interesting to look at, and it's a pleasure to work through... when you aren't getting smashed into the ground repeatedly by some of the genre's most brutal encounters to date.

6 Dark Souls 3

A Little Linear, A Lot of Awesome

As probably my personal favorite video game of all time, I've become somewhat of a Dark Souls 3 apologist. Sure, it's a beloved title by most fans of the genre, but not many people talk about the game's map specifically. When they do, there's a bit of a running joke that Dark Souls 3 is just a series of hallways, and arguably From's most linear game in history.

I can concede that it objectively is more linear than other titles, sure. But like we already talked about in games like Lies of P earlier in this list, I don't really care much when the map is still so well planned-out, dotted perfectly with enemies exactly where they need to be, and just so dang cool to look at.

I dare anyone to think of a better vista than crawling out of the Catacombs and seeing Irithyll of the Boreal Valley for the first time. Yeah, you might not have to think about your route-planning too particularly thoroughly in DS3, but the game map is going to look and feel amazing the whole way regardless.

5 Bloodborne

Winding Alleys of Horror

On a personal level, despite being a huge FromSoftware fan (clearly), Bloodborne isn't really close to my favorite game from the developer. It's still great, but failed to grab me compared to its brothers, both younger and older alike. But dang, if Yharnam and everything surrounding it isn't one of the coolest video game maps of all time.

Here, we see FromSoftware operating near the peak of their powers with dozens of shortcuts and gates to unlock in order to circle back to lamp posts you've found before to create new paths through the terror every step of the way. As probably From's scariest game (though I think there's a case for DS3 too, to be honest), the vibes are also absolutely off the charts in Bloodborne throughout.

The only negative here really is the game still being capped at 30 FPS, because Sony doesn't want us to have nice things. But sheesh, imagine this game running at 4K/60 FPS someday (or better), and it might climb a few more spots on the list.

4 Elden Ring

Souls Goes Open World

Aside from Patrick Star and anyone else that's been living underneath his rock/house with him, everyone already knows about Elden Ring, and for good reason. As FromSoftware's first foray into the open-world genre, it switched things up tremendously. Well, sort of. To be honest, it really does just feel like open-world Dark Souls, which is why it wasn't even that surprising to see DS bosses start to show up in Nightreign even though it makes no sense whatsoever.

All of that aside, a massive part of what makes Elden Ring so memorable is The Lands Between, which takes up a humongous chunk of map real estate to capture its entirety, particularly when you factor in the DLC area of Shadow Of The Erdtree as well. It is, inevitably, mildly more empty at times compared to other FromSoftware titles, but that doesn't make the design any less standout.

I'll never forget going underground for the first time in Elden Ring and realizing just how much square footage areas like Siofra and Ainsel added to the equation. Getting transported to Farum Azula without warning was both thrilling and terrifying. Truly, Elden Ring's map is loaded with iconic and unforgettable moments, and I love it for that.

3 Wuchang: Fallen Feathers

A Modern Throwback

This one might be a bit of a hot take, especially after how much I just gushed about Elden Ring's map layout, but Wuchang: Fallen Feathers is my personal runner-up in terms of 3D Soulslike maps. Wuchang was a game I didn't know what to expect from going into it, and I walked away completely floored by the map and all of its intricacies.

Not since the original Dark Souls had I encountered a 3D game world so interconnected, chained together by shortcuts, and expertly paced. Many levels also add in a great sense of verticality, and the result is area after area crammed to the brim with places to explore and discover on your own.

Call it imitation or inspiration, but you'll also find FromSoftware staples like invisible walkways, fakeout Bonfires, and everything else you've come to know and expect from a Soulslike. Wuchang just does it all perfectly, weaving a tapestry of pathways and doorways that constantly amazed me when I realized Area X connected to Area Y after all.

2 Hollow Knight: Silksong

The Most Insane 2D Map Ever

The only 2D representative on this list, Hollow Knight: Silksong has one of the most ridiculously complex, sprawling, creative map layouts I've ever seen in my life. On a personal level, the game itself wasn't one of my favorites of 2025, but the map was still probably the absolute best one I encountered.

It's also just so well-animated, so beautiful, so disgusting, so terrifying, and so unique all at the same time. Add in the fact that it's all also a map that needs to function as a ridiculously tight and precise platforming experience, and it really is insane what Team Cherry pulled off with Silksong.

We just don't ever need to talk about Bilewater ever again. Thank you very much.

1 Dark Souls

The Classic for a Reason

Claiming the top spot on the list, of course, is the original Dark Souls. All these years later, there's no other example in the entire Soulslike genre of a map that is so expertly crafted and laid out.

Firelink Shrine is iconic, serving as the hub that every new tendril of the map slinks away from before turning into yet another sprawling, interconnected area of the game. But then, you start to notice how some areas link back to others. Or how certain shortcuts spit you back out at Firelink once again. Or how you have multiple options for how to get to Blighttown. Or how Blighttown connects you to Ash Lake. It's all insane, and feels endless in its reveals the first time you experience it.

And then, after playing through the whole game, you see some of the map diagrams that lay out just how vertical, connected, and layered on top of each other every area truly is. The map in Dark Souls is a feat in video game engineering, and the Soulslike genre has yet to top it.